02-12-2018, 10:59 PM
I thought i’d create an origin story for the two characters in “If the Money is Right”, Jadd and Emily. Here it is...
Bullets rip through the wall beside me. Debris flies everywhere. I roll to the side to find cover
(Likely | 10[d10]) Yes, and...
There’s a chunk of wall still standing that I crouch behind.
WHOOSH!
Another rocket flies past and pieces of the floor collapse beside me.
Am I injured?
(Unlikely | 1[d10]) No, and...
That was lucky. I check my armour, no evidence of shrapnel.
The hall is softly lit by holo projectors. There is an archway with a sign hanging down which reads “2 Lower”. There's the sound of Heavy Thudd mixed in with the sounds of battle. Someone must have left it playing when the firefight started. A desklamp casts an eerie glow through the dust and smoke. Hazard tape is stretched across an opening, quite ironically while an array of various sized screens fills most of one side of the hall - most though have been damaged in the fight.
A shock trooper sticks his head around the corner, his red eyes glowing through the smoke. Why do all these combat helmets have luminous eyes that give their position away? Intimidation I guess. I chance a quick shot.
(Unlikely | 5[d10]) No, but...
It misses him but he’ll think twice about doing that again.
Is their a way I can escape away from these guys?
(50/50 | 10[d10]) Yes, and...
Behind me I see an open doorway. The door itself lies partially on the floor in several pieces. Do I have any grenades left?
(Unlikely | 3[d10]) No
How many clips of ammo do I have left?
4 = 6[d6]-2
I fire one whole clip down the hallway to cover my move to the door. Does it work?
(Very Likely | 9[d10]) Yes +Event: Haggle / The public
That kept them suppressed.
I hunker down in my new position, from this doorway I have a clean shot down the hall. They’d be taking a risk to move on me.
“Hey!” I cry out to my assailants, “What are they paying you to kill me?”
Do they answer?
(50/50 | 6[d10]) Yes, but...
“Not enough for your Sorry arse Danner!” Comes the reply.
“Killing you will be doing the general public a favour” come another voice.
“Maybe I can make you an offer? I’ll double whatever you’re getting paid?” I plead with them.
My request is only met with laughter and blind automatic weapon fire.
“Do you believe this guy?” One of them says to the other. They both laugh again.
Moving backwards through the doorway I carefully step over the piles of broken concrete and steel and back right into someone else who also hasn’t seen me. We both jump in amazement.
Are they armed?
(Very Likely | 9[d10]) Yes +Event: Take / War
It’s a girl, messy blonde hair and heavy makeup. She appears to have a robotic arm and by the rips in her leggings, a cybernetic leg as well. She looks frightened and angry. We both point our pistols at each other but neither of us speak. The shock troops down the hall haven’t moved yet. It’s a tense stand off. In a blindingly fast move, she swings her arm and takes the pistol from my hand before I can even react to what’s going on.
She then lets out a screaming war cry and launches herself down the hallway firing both guns.
In a few seconds it’s over. I’m standing dumbfounded in the room while she charges the two shock troops, killing them both.
Returning to the room she raises both pistols at me.
“Don’t shoot!” I plead. I raise my hands and stare her straight in the eye. I must look as scared as she does.
Does she shoot?
(Very Unlikely | 6[d10]) Yes, but...
The world is a blur. My vision is hazy but it’s coming back to me. The room is still full of smoke and rubble, that much I can tell. I am honestly wondering if I’m dead and in some twisted version of the afterlife. My chest aches, i feel my body armour and put my fingers into two big craters on the breastplate. It’s cracked and probably useless but it saved my life.
“Who are you and what are you doing here?” Comes a voice.
“Whaaa.....” is all I can manage.
“Did Younke send you to kill me?” It’s a girl, that girl. Now I remember.
“Younke....yes, he sent me. Not....not to kill anyone...”, I’m struggling to speak, “he wanted me.....he wanted me to steal....ah fuck, it wasn’t even here....it was....a setup.”
“YOU came here to steal?!” She half questions, half exclaims, “I came here on a grab job! I was set up. That prick conned us both!” Now things are getting clearer.
“A double set up?” I ponder, “Younke would have used more than 2 shock troops?”
“He did,” says the girl. “There are 4 more bodies on level 1”
“Nice work” I’m impressed.
My eyesight is pretty much back to normal but my body is bruised and painful. Now I get a good look at her. She’s beautiful. Not classically beautiful by any means but beautiful none the less. Her blonde hair hangs in random ways, her buckled jacket has various rips and holes and her dusty leather leggings are tattered and blood stained. Her right arm is a crude graft of a service droid’s limb and her left leg, while obviously also robotic, is at least a human prosthetic. One boot is missing from her natural leg and dried blood covers her foot.
“Can you walk? Can you move?’
(Very Likely | 10[d10]) Yes, and... +Event: Transform / The physical
She seems to emerge out of the battle rage she was in. I see the transformation happen before my eyes. One moment she’s glaring like a psycho killer and the next she’s taking my hand and leading me out of the room.
“We have to leave” She says as we charge down a flight of stairs.
She still has my pistol though. Probably doesn’t want to take the chance I’ll pay her back for shooting me.
We head down the stairs and through the rubble on level 1.
Are there any hostile on this level?
(50/50 | 10[d10]) Yes, and...
We run straight into the backup. We are caught in an ambush.
Bullets fly our way.
(Unlikely | 9[d10]) Yes +Event: Neglect / Tactics
Both of us are hit. We neglected to check the area before rushing into it. A stupid tactical error.
(6 = 6[d20]) Negligible: Nick/Scratch/Bruise.
(13 = 13[d20]) Moderate Injury: Hampers action significantly; will require first aid/medical attention.
I receive a few bullet nicks and grazes on my back but the girl is hit in her cybernetic arm and in her back. The bullets miss any critical organs but she is bleeding as we both fall behind a pile of debris.
A storm of bullets and rockets explode around us. Time stands still for a brief moment. The fire and flashes are blinding and the sound is overwhelming. We are both covered in dust and flying debris as we lay there.
I look down at her. Although she is hit she shows no pain. In this moment of chaos all I can do is stare into her eyes, captivated by her aura. She looks up at me and for the first time I see her smile. It’s a sad smile but one of hope.
“I’m Emily” she says. I can’t hear the words but I read her lips.
“Jadd”, I reply, “Jadd Danner”
“Nice to meet you Jadd”
We both laugh as our cover is slowly blown away.
Then there is silence.
“Reload!” I hear someone shout from the other side of the room. Emily is on her feet before I realise what’s going on. She fires.
(Likely | 10[d10]) Yes, and...
One trooper, reloading the heavy machine gun goes down, dragging the gun off its tripod.
(Likely | 9[d10]) Yes
Another, readying his rocket launcher is hit in the head and is knocked down. Neither shot penetrates their armour but both are out of action temporarily.
The last trooper, who manned the heavy weapon is frantically trying to get the gun back in action as Emily leaps in the air and lands on him.
(13 = 13[d20]) Moderate Injury: Hampers action significantly; will require first aid/medical attention.
He’s thrown to the ground in a heap. Emily just stands over him.
In the chaos she has dropped my gun which i’ve now picked up. I look at her and she looks back at me.
“Come on.” I say,”let’s get those injuries looked at.”
She manages a weak smile as we head to the door.
“Younke is going to go down for this”, she says, “I could use your help?”
“Don’t worry sweetheart, you got it. You sure as hell got it”
Bullets rip through the wall beside me. Debris flies everywhere. I roll to the side to find cover
(Likely | 10[d10]) Yes, and...
There’s a chunk of wall still standing that I crouch behind.
WHOOSH!
Another rocket flies past and pieces of the floor collapse beside me.
Am I injured?
(Unlikely | 1[d10]) No, and...
That was lucky. I check my armour, no evidence of shrapnel.
The hall is softly lit by holo projectors. There is an archway with a sign hanging down which reads “2 Lower”. There's the sound of Heavy Thudd mixed in with the sounds of battle. Someone must have left it playing when the firefight started. A desklamp casts an eerie glow through the dust and smoke. Hazard tape is stretched across an opening, quite ironically while an array of various sized screens fills most of one side of the hall - most though have been damaged in the fight.
A shock trooper sticks his head around the corner, his red eyes glowing through the smoke. Why do all these combat helmets have luminous eyes that give their position away? Intimidation I guess. I chance a quick shot.
(Unlikely | 5[d10]) No, but...
It misses him but he’ll think twice about doing that again.
Is their a way I can escape away from these guys?
(50/50 | 10[d10]) Yes, and...
Behind me I see an open doorway. The door itself lies partially on the floor in several pieces. Do I have any grenades left?
(Unlikely | 3[d10]) No
How many clips of ammo do I have left?
4 = 6[d6]-2
I fire one whole clip down the hallway to cover my move to the door. Does it work?
(Very Likely | 9[d10]) Yes +Event: Haggle / The public
That kept them suppressed.
I hunker down in my new position, from this doorway I have a clean shot down the hall. They’d be taking a risk to move on me.
“Hey!” I cry out to my assailants, “What are they paying you to kill me?”
Do they answer?
(50/50 | 6[d10]) Yes, but...
“Not enough for your Sorry arse Danner!” Comes the reply.
“Killing you will be doing the general public a favour” come another voice.
“Maybe I can make you an offer? I’ll double whatever you’re getting paid?” I plead with them.
My request is only met with laughter and blind automatic weapon fire.
“Do you believe this guy?” One of them says to the other. They both laugh again.
Moving backwards through the doorway I carefully step over the piles of broken concrete and steel and back right into someone else who also hasn’t seen me. We both jump in amazement.
Are they armed?
(Very Likely | 9[d10]) Yes +Event: Take / War
It’s a girl, messy blonde hair and heavy makeup. She appears to have a robotic arm and by the rips in her leggings, a cybernetic leg as well. She looks frightened and angry. We both point our pistols at each other but neither of us speak. The shock troops down the hall haven’t moved yet. It’s a tense stand off. In a blindingly fast move, she swings her arm and takes the pistol from my hand before I can even react to what’s going on.
She then lets out a screaming war cry and launches herself down the hallway firing both guns.
In a few seconds it’s over. I’m standing dumbfounded in the room while she charges the two shock troops, killing them both.
Returning to the room she raises both pistols at me.
“Don’t shoot!” I plead. I raise my hands and stare her straight in the eye. I must look as scared as she does.
Does she shoot?
(Very Unlikely | 6[d10]) Yes, but...
The world is a blur. My vision is hazy but it’s coming back to me. The room is still full of smoke and rubble, that much I can tell. I am honestly wondering if I’m dead and in some twisted version of the afterlife. My chest aches, i feel my body armour and put my fingers into two big craters on the breastplate. It’s cracked and probably useless but it saved my life.
“Who are you and what are you doing here?” Comes a voice.
“Whaaa.....” is all I can manage.
“Did Younke send you to kill me?” It’s a girl, that girl. Now I remember.
“Younke....yes, he sent me. Not....not to kill anyone...”, I’m struggling to speak, “he wanted me.....he wanted me to steal....ah fuck, it wasn’t even here....it was....a setup.”
“YOU came here to steal?!” She half questions, half exclaims, “I came here on a grab job! I was set up. That prick conned us both!” Now things are getting clearer.
“A double set up?” I ponder, “Younke would have used more than 2 shock troops?”
“He did,” says the girl. “There are 4 more bodies on level 1”
“Nice work” I’m impressed.
My eyesight is pretty much back to normal but my body is bruised and painful. Now I get a good look at her. She’s beautiful. Not classically beautiful by any means but beautiful none the less. Her blonde hair hangs in random ways, her buckled jacket has various rips and holes and her dusty leather leggings are tattered and blood stained. Her right arm is a crude graft of a service droid’s limb and her left leg, while obviously also robotic, is at least a human prosthetic. One boot is missing from her natural leg and dried blood covers her foot.
“Can you walk? Can you move?’
(Very Likely | 10[d10]) Yes, and... +Event: Transform / The physical
She seems to emerge out of the battle rage she was in. I see the transformation happen before my eyes. One moment she’s glaring like a psycho killer and the next she’s taking my hand and leading me out of the room.
“We have to leave” She says as we charge down a flight of stairs.
She still has my pistol though. Probably doesn’t want to take the chance I’ll pay her back for shooting me.
We head down the stairs and through the rubble on level 1.
Are there any hostile on this level?
(50/50 | 10[d10]) Yes, and...
We run straight into the backup. We are caught in an ambush.
Bullets fly our way.
(Unlikely | 9[d10]) Yes +Event: Neglect / Tactics
Both of us are hit. We neglected to check the area before rushing into it. A stupid tactical error.
(6 = 6[d20]) Negligible: Nick/Scratch/Bruise.
(13 = 13[d20]) Moderate Injury: Hampers action significantly; will require first aid/medical attention.
I receive a few bullet nicks and grazes on my back but the girl is hit in her cybernetic arm and in her back. The bullets miss any critical organs but she is bleeding as we both fall behind a pile of debris.
A storm of bullets and rockets explode around us. Time stands still for a brief moment. The fire and flashes are blinding and the sound is overwhelming. We are both covered in dust and flying debris as we lay there.
I look down at her. Although she is hit she shows no pain. In this moment of chaos all I can do is stare into her eyes, captivated by her aura. She looks up at me and for the first time I see her smile. It’s a sad smile but one of hope.
“I’m Emily” she says. I can’t hear the words but I read her lips.
“Jadd”, I reply, “Jadd Danner”
“Nice to meet you Jadd”
We both laugh as our cover is slowly blown away.
Then there is silence.
“Reload!” I hear someone shout from the other side of the room. Emily is on her feet before I realise what’s going on. She fires.
(Likely | 10[d10]) Yes, and...
One trooper, reloading the heavy machine gun goes down, dragging the gun off its tripod.
(Likely | 9[d10]) Yes
Another, readying his rocket launcher is hit in the head and is knocked down. Neither shot penetrates their armour but both are out of action temporarily.
The last trooper, who manned the heavy weapon is frantically trying to get the gun back in action as Emily leaps in the air and lands on him.
(13 = 13[d20]) Moderate Injury: Hampers action significantly; will require first aid/medical attention.
He’s thrown to the ground in a heap. Emily just stands over him.
In the chaos she has dropped my gun which i’ve now picked up. I look at her and she looks back at me.
“Come on.” I say,”let’s get those injuries looked at.”
She manages a weak smile as we head to the door.
“Younke is going to go down for this”, she says, “I could use your help?”
“Don’t worry sweetheart, you got it. You sure as hell got it”